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Yes Yes I did a tons of research and checked the owners manual and dealers and what not. Loads of stuff.
However, I am really lost with this oil usage. Have read up old post last week on page 50 some odd here. 3 page article/post on oil. So yes 0W40 Mobil1 for an M113 engine. I was able to check with Porsche and found they sell a litre of it at R180 approx. $16 a litre. They told me they soon will be moving to Motul oil which will cost R110 a litre approx. $9
So I buy the Mercedez Benz 5litre oil which complies with the standards for me AMG motor (found on label that it complies) The thing is this is South Africa. We don't experience lower than 0 temp here. Hell I never seen anything below 5 either and this is Celsius not Fahrenheit. So I buy the oil and the guy behind the Merc parts counter tells me its 5W30 motor oil. Label shows made in Europe, its Mercedez oil. Yes the requirement/standard for Merc oil is correct BUT, I see it is Synthetic oil and not Fully Synthetic. Should I ask for my refund or in my case will exchange it for tranny oil or a tranny filter. I bought 10litres of this oil which cost me approx. $48
The salesman told me they use it in the AMGs in the workshop. Its only in the workshop when you do a service that they will use Mobil1 0W40 oil and the B service quote was approx. $540 just for filter and oil so sadly I cannot purchase the Mobil 1 oil.
Am I safe using Synthetic oil or should I use fully synthetic?
I don't want to put my engine at any risk especially since it has almost 240 000km on her and it is a sports car engine not some local commuter cab.
From what I read, they say to stick with 0W40 Mobil1. What do I do end of year when Porsche now stocks Motul and no longer Mobil1?
Like I said, Do I keep the oil and use it or will my engine life be put at stake if I do so?
Hey just my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt.
I believe that the w30 is to thin of an oil and doesn't provide sufficient protection. I just started doing oil changes myself and went with Mobil1 0W40. From everything I have read the W30 is not recommended by users/mechanics although MB does recommended it us. If you can find a w40 or even W50 go for that.
I VALUE anyone's opinion. Thank you.
I use 15W40 in my old twincam 4age engine. It works fine there. It is a heavier oil apart from the engine being a late 80's model.
I have watched a movie kinda attraction in the back of a make shift cinema Castrol Lorry. They explained why their oils are the best and how its engineered that it sticks to metal surfaces. I have heard too thick oils make the engine harder to start whilst thinner oil cling better to metal to metal contact surfaces. But I suppose like you say thicker oil will help prevent pre-mature bearing failure in the long run which is what every Mercedes owner wants to achieve.
Wish I could install a Cummins pre-luber on my car. That way I wouldn't have to bother bout the start ups.
I have used the advice received here. Looked at Motul 8100 Xcess, it is synthetic oil but complies with the MB standard. I have looked at Castrol oil as well which is a 5W40 fully synthetic oil and Shell Helix Ultra (
grey bottle) which is 5W40 fully synthetic. It complies to Ferrari and MB standards so thinking of getting the Shell oil as the Motul oil isn't fully synthetic and Castrol well I don't want any sludge formation but I dono so will go with the trusted Shell oil.
I have used the advice received here. Looked at Motul 8100 Xcess, it is synthetic oil but complies with the MB standard. I have looked at Castrol oil as well which is a 5W40 fully synthetic oil and Shell Helix Ultra (
grey bottle) which is 5W40 fully synthetic. It complies to Ferrari and MB standards so thinking of getting the Shell oil as the Motul oil isn't fully synthetic and Castrol well I don't want any sludge formation but I dono so will go with the trusted Shell oil.
I know a little about oil and understand why I use the oil I do. The technical reason to use a particular oil is lubrication. Lubrication is dependent on flow. Viscosity, as it's measured in motor oil, is a measure of a fluid's resistance to flow. Basically, it’s the oil’s "thickness". Oil "thickness" is quantified in something called centiStokes (cSt). CentiStokes was named after Stokes Law for Friction. Now keep in mind, motor oil thickness is temperature dependent. The normal operating temperature for motor oil is 100°C. It is a lot thicker when colder, and by colder I don’t mean freezing.
The question is – what’s the optimum thickness for motor oil at its normal operating temperature? That depends on bearing tolerances, but you won’t need a dial caliper for the answer. All you have to do is look at the data sheet for whatever oil you’re considering. Take that data sheet and compare it to the data sheet of an oil that Mercedes-Benz recommends. Among a long list of other oils, Mercedes-Benz recommends Mobil1 0W-40 European Formula. Attached is a photo of two Mobil1 product data sheets as supplied by Exxon Mobil. The one on the left is 5W-40 and the other is the recommended 0W-40. The 0W-40 has a rating of 14 cSt @ 100°C, while the 5W-40 is 14.8 cSt. Both those numbers are fine. Now look at the 40°C rating. Both of those cSt ratings are too high for adequate lubrication, which is why both the revs and the load are supposed to be kept low until the oil is up to temperature. The thing that should stand out is 5W-40 is 30% thicker. Here’s another thing that should stand out, 40°C is 104°F. When parked overnight, motor oil is a lot colder than 40°C and therefore a lot thicker.
I’ve heard the commercials where the guy says 90% of engine wear occurs during startup. I don’t know that I believe 90% of ALL engine wear occurs during a cold start but I’d guess it’s close to that number when it comes to bearings – and the reason is the oil is too thick. Now some may say "the clearances are greater when the engine is cold, making thicker oil more beneficial, yada, yada, yada." To each their own. Buy whatever oil you want and best wishes with long term engine life. I’m just explaining why I use what I use.
thank you all for educating me on oil flow and their properties. The Motul oil as mentioned earlier is cheaper and Porshe will soon be stocking it as opposed to Mobil 1. I don't mind paying the extra for Shell Helix Ultra 5W40 fully synthetic as its 229.5 compliant. So will see what I decide by this weekend or next.
Thank you all for a post full of advice which once again was commonly asked.
06-25-2015, 05:29 AM
so sadly I cannot purchase the Mobil 1 oil.
All you have to do is look at the data sheet for whatever oil you’re considering. Take that data sheet and compare it to the data sheet of an oil that Mercedes-Benz recommends. Among a long list of other oils, Mercedes-Benz recommends Mobil1 0W-40 European Formula. Attached is a photo of two Mobil1 product data sheets as supplied by Exxon Mobil. The one on the left is 5W-40 and the other is the recommended 0W-40. The 0W-40 has a rating of 14 cSt @ 100°C, while the 5W-40 is 14.8 cSt. Both those numbers are fine. Now look at the 40°C rating. Both of those cSt ratings are too high for adequate lubrication, which is why both the revs and the load are supposed to be kept low until the oil is up to temperature. The thing that should stand out is 5W-40 is 30% thicker. Here’s another thing that should stand out, 40°C is 104°F. When parked overnight, motor oil is a lot colder than 40°C and therefore a lot thicker. 
